on the broadcast tonight, sweltering heat and the struggle to restore power to more than a million people still in the dark four days after deadly storms. on the fire lines in the west, some good news for a change, and an outpouring of thanks for the dedication and courage for those exhausted firefighters. and remembering andy griffith. america's favorite small town sheriff. tonight his tv son opie, ron howard, on the loss of a national treasure. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. i'm natalie morales in for brian. on the eve of the july 4th holiday, a time usually for fun and family, but for many, there

is no escaping the extreme heat. adding to the misery in the mid-atlantic region, patience is starting to run out with power still out for more than a million households. we begin once again nbc's with tom costello in the nation's capital. good evening, tom. >> good evening to you. we could have picked any one a number of neighborhoods here in d.c. and virginia. we have a tree down, cars crushed, power lines are down. they're slowly getting power back, but it could be until the weekend until everyone has power back. in the meantime, with the death toll at 26, the concern is, it may rise with the heat taking a toll. across a huge section of the country today, the growl of chainsaws filled the air, and neighborhoods still trying to dig out from a storm that passed four days ago. >> it surprises me that we have the debris, but more than that, that we haven't seen a truck.

>> reporter: a lot of neighborhoods haven't seen power trucks. roughly 1.25 million people in seven states still have no electricity. 40,000 in washington, d.c.. suffering through yet another day of suffocating heat and high humidity. >> if i open up my door, it's like the devil, he says come on in, because i'm going back down where i come from, where it's cooler. you know. >> reporter: when the power came back on in this maryland neighborhood, the downed lines suddenly came alive, torching the cars on the ground. >> we're lucky today, it's reading 89. >> reporter: in silver spring, maryland, the heat has forced sandra brown to abandon the top floors of her house and move to a couch in the basement. >> it's the only bearable part of the house. >> reporter: rebuilding an electric grid brought down by wind and trees has been a massive challenge. these crews brought in from canada were treated as heroes anxious to get plugged back in. one top priority, restoring power to 33 nursing homes in maryland that were without power yesterday.

today, all had at least backup power, but four were still without air conditioning. even before the storm, the biggest power company in washington, pepco, was under intense scrutiny for a pattern of outages. now, widespread anger. >> i think people are fed up with power outages. and we need a game changer. >> reporter: but pepco insists the disaster was an act of god. >> we do take responsibility. we know there are things that had to be changed, and we're making that effort. >> reporter: the heat extends well beyond the d.c. region from the plains to the atlantic, from north to south. in wisconsin it caused highway 29 to buckle sending this suv flying. extreme temps following an extreme storm, leaving a massive cleanup. back live here in d.c., let's talk about who's most exposed and most at risk. the elderly, the very young and the sick are the ones people are most concerned about. health experts are also warning, if you have food in your fridge and you haven't had power for a

few days, you have to throw everything out. and also, it may be a good idea to treat every single wire as a potential live wire. natalie, back to you. >> absolutely. tom costello in washington, d.c. thanks so much, tom. out west, finally some good news along the front lines of the wildfires in colorado. more families are returning home. and for those fire crews who are still working the front lines, the kindest show of support. nbc's miguel almaguer is in colorado springs with the latest. >> reporter: in the scorched hills above colorado springs, firefighters finally turn the corner. crews mop up the blaze that killed two, devoured 28 square miles, and destroyed 346 homes. today six of the air force c-130s are back in the firefight, grounded after sunday's fatal crash that killed four aboard air tanker number 7. >> we obviously are very troubled by the crash that took place several days ago, and the loss of life associated with that. it just underscores the dangers

that are associated with these fires. >> reporter: these blazes are being called super fires, with 2.2 million acres charred nationwide so far this season -- >> long term projections are that we'll see more fires. >> reporter: -- firefighters say conditions are ripe for out of control infernos that grow at size and at speeds we've never seen before. >> warm weather, lower humidities, fuel moistures are at historic lows all over the western united states. and combine that with a little bit of lightning, and you have the recipe for a big fire. >> reporter: tonight, 41 wildfires are raging across the west. >> fires here, let's get them out. >> reporter: in montana alone, ten blazes stretch resources thin. >> we're shorthanded because of the other fires in the area. we've been playing hopscotch going from one to another. >> reporter: at the northern cheyenne reservation, 186,000 acres have burned, as firefighters battle flames in 106 degree heat.

in utah, the wood hollow fire destroyed the paine's mountain home. >> i mean it's just -- nothing left. nothing green, it's just burnt dirt. >> reporter: tonight with heightened fire danger and the 4th of july, fireworks have been banned in several western states. in colorado springs, where firefighters returned from the front lines, parades are taking place every night. hundreds line the streets. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: a community grateful for the men and women who have saved lives and homes. tonight here in colorado, as it is in so many western states, wind is a major concern. fortunately this blaze is more than 70% contained. natalie? >> miguel almaguer in colorado springs. thanks so much, miguel. overseas tonight, supply lines in pakistan that are vital to american interests are now

once again open after a serious dispute and an acknowledgement by the u.s. that mistakes were made. nbc's jim miklaszewski joins us tonight from the pentagon with more. jim, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, natalie. that bitter dispute exploded last november, when american air strikes mistakenly killed 24 pakistani troops. when the u.s. refused to apologize, pakistan closed down two critical supply lines into afghanistan. and vital shipments were backed up at the border. today those routes were reopen, when secretary of state hillary clinton told pakistan, we are sorry for the loss of pakistani forces. u.s. officials insist this was not an apology, but it was good enough for pakistan. those routes supply american troops with just about everything they need to survive, and will be just as critical to ending the war. they're the same routes american forces will take to withdraw from afghanistan over the next two years. natalie?

>> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon for us tonight, thank you. the fda has approved a new over the counter test for hiv that can be used at home, and gets results in about a half an hour. the test will be available starting in october for people 17 and older. it detects hiv in saliva from a mouth swab. there are other hiv home test kits, but they need to be sent to a lab for results. the cdc estimates that about 50,000 americans become infected with hiv each year, and about one fifth of those with hiv in the u.s. are not aware they're infected. today america lost its favorite small town sheriff, father and shrewd country lawyer. all roles brilliantly played by andy griffith who died this morning in his native north carolina at age 86. generations grew up watching him. and tonight, nbc's mike taibbi takes a look back. ♪

>> reporter: he planned to be a preacher or an opera singer. but as anyone who ever heard that opening theme knows, it was as andy of mayberry that andy griffith made his indelible mark. >> we don't ever stop her. we figure if she can save a step or two here and there, she'll be with us that much longer. >> reporter: he played sheriff andy taylor, a wise authority figure everyone looked up to. respected for his tolerance and sense of fair play. a straight man to bumbling don knotts as barney fife. >> just stay calm. >> reporter: widowed father to son opie played by ron howard. >> guess i did a good job, huh, pa? >> you sure did, son. >> reporter: somehow in the raucous '60s, "the andy griffith show" thrived. a comforting serving of small town america, where values were clear, common sense ruled. the distinction between good and evil unmistakable. >> now, opie, i want you to understand, ordinarily i don't approve of doing things behind folks' backs. >> i get it, pa. >> reporter: still, as griffith once said on "today," mayberry

had to be invented. >> though we never said it, it had a feeling of the '30s. it was, when we were doing it, of a time gone by. the show ended its run in 1968 still on top. griffith tried spin-offs, and then had another hit as "matlock," a southern lawyer with homespun wisdom. a character with the same dreams his fans had, said linda purl who played his daughter. >> i guess we all have dreams, and your arena of safety. and maybe that's something he was always yearning for himself. and so he was able to portray that in both long running shows he was a part of. >> reporter: ironically, griffith started his career playing a bad guy, the political opportunist in "a face in the crowd." >> they'd be afraid not to come, i could murder them like this. [ maniacal laugh ] >> reporter: at one his last performances, a controversial ad

two years ago for president obama's health care bill. >> with the new health care law, more good things are coming. >> reporter: but it's as andy of mayberry he is best remembered, a character so admirable and enduring, it won him the presidential medal of freedom. >> tv shows come and go, but there's only one andy griffith. >> reporter: one character whose lesson was that insisting on the rules with compassion and caring. >> that there is real sheriffing. and i mean real sheriffing. >> reporter: can always win the day. mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. >> as you probably know, ron howard, who we just saw in mike taibbi's report, has been a long time successful film director. but it was that role as opie at age 5 that gave him his start in the business. more now from ron howard in his own words on how andy griffith helped shape his career and his life. >> andy as a person just brought a smile to my face because he got a lot of joy out of what he

was doing. what andy probably meant most to me, he demonstrated this possibility that you could really have fun and work very hard toward trying to offer audiences something of real quality. being a kid actor on "the andy griffith show" was an extraordinary experience and a very positive experience. i never felt pressured. and yet, i also learned really how to be a professional. ♪ >> the thing about "the andy griffith show," is that while not autobiographical, it was a real genuine reflection of his sensibilities. and the enduring appreciation for the show, the fact that the show still airs every day. >> whoa, now! simmer down now. >> he's well known for, at the end of a show, turning to the audience and saying, i appreciate it, and good night.

a few years ago i was thinking about him and it, and i realized that he understood those words and he believed them. ♪ >> ron howard remembering andy griffith. and there is more, including a post from our politics team about andy griffith's support for causes he cared about on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. still ahead as "nightly news" continues, a side of the border wars that may shock a lot of people. a growing number of children as young as 6 crossing the u.s. border without their parents. and later, chelsea clinton reports on a unique ranch and some unusual ranch hands who are making a difference.

it's not surprising, every year several hundred thousand immigrants cross the border into the u.s. illegally. what is surprising is the growing number of kids now crossing the border alone. most fleeing troubled lives. putting new stresses on government and social service agencies here trying to help them. nbc's mark potter reports. >> reporter: in texas two months ago, police found more than 100 illegal immigrants stashed in houses, including unaccompanied boys. >> they were being treated like animals. there was no water, there was no food. they were locked in. >> reporter: mike vickers found four illegal immigrant youths,

lost, exhausted and thirsty, including two girls ages 10 and 13. >> they probably really didn't understand how close they were to being statistics and being dead. >> reporter: federal authorities say the number of children detained after illegally entering the u.s. without their parents now is skyrocketing. more than 8,000 unaccompanied migrant children have been taken into custody this year compared to 4,000 the same time last year. most are teenaged buys from central america, where they are fleeing drug and gang violence. extreme poverty or abusive homes. >> it's often a very harrowing trip, a dangerous trip for the children. and it can turn into a very abusive situation. >> reporter: the dramatic rise of unaccompanied minors crossing the border into the u.s. is putting a lot of stress now on the federal agencies required by law to care for those children once they've been detained. u.s. officials have been scrambling to open temporary

shelters to house the children until guardians are found, even using barracks at lackland air force base. legal aide groups are trying to find enough lawyers to help them in immigration courts. >> we need to remember to treat these children as kids first and immigrants second. >> reporter: one of those children is 13-year-old lorena rodrigez from el salvador. she and an older sister endured a grueling six-week trek to the u.s., where she was held in a government shelter until relatives were found in boston. can you tell me about the trip that you made to come to this country? is there anything you want to tell me about it. >> i can't. >> reporter: is it tough to talk about that? >> yeah. >> reporter: both u.s. customs and border protection, and the department of health and human services declined requests from nbc news for on camera interviews to discuss the issue. but in a written statement, customs said child immigration numbers are cyclical, as more children this year make the perilous journey to the united states alone. mark potter, nbc news, hidalgo, texas.

up next, a great champion makes her last run for the olympics at the age of 45. we're sitting on a bunch of shale gas.

there's natural gas under my town. it's a game changer. ♪ it means cleaner, cheaper american-made energy. but we've got to be careful how we get it. design the wells to be safe. thousands of jobs. use the most advanced technology to protect our water. billions in the economy. at chevron, if we can't do it right, we won't do it at all.

we've got to think long term. we've got to think long term. ♪ as we count down to the london olympics, dara torres, the 45-year-old american swimmer who began her olympic career in 1984 fell short in her bid to compete in a sixth summer games. she finished fourth in the 50 meter freestyle, just .09 seconds out of the needed second place finish. with some obvious disappointment and a waive to her 6-year-old daughter torres ends her amazing career having earned 12 olympic medals. she told nbc she can leave knowing she gave it everything she possibly could. and yes, that's a man with a jet pack carrying the olympic torch to new heights today. he's taking part in the torch relay at britain's national space center. he'll be handing the torch over

to the first torch bearer to continue the 70 day tour around the u.k. talk about a power serve at wimbledon, this one by marty fish had to hurt. 118 miles per hour, right to the face of the line judge. it didn't knock the judge off her game, she called it a fault. tonight she's fine. some are calling it a prime example of the british stiff upper lip. and here's a great catch in atlanta at a braves game, a dad holding a baby in one hand, snags a foul ball in the other. almost makes it look easy. now that's what i call multitasking. when we come back, chelsea clinton shows us how a love of horses is making a difference for some young people in need.

finally tonight, our "making a difference" report about a woman who realized horses have the power to heal and bring hope to people who struggle. nbc's chelsea clinton has the story from miami. >> reporter: peggy bass is passionate about the restorative power of her ponies and horses, especially for at-risk teenagers. peggy runs good hope, a therapeutic horseback riding

center for children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. but what's unique about peggy's place, her ranch hands. most are runaway, abandoned or abused teenagers living at the miami bridge emergency shelter. city kids, like felicia smith, scared of the horses her first time here. >> i saw too many movies of horses kicking people. >> reporter: but with a little boost from peggy -- >> and over. excellent, there you go. >> reporter: -- she concurred her fear. many teens need coaxing for other issues. >> they're very shy, timid, angry about what's going on in their situation. >> reporter: since horses sense human emotion, peggy shows how to guide with a gentle hand. lady is a retired show horse. in her second career she's helping troubled teens make it to the finish line. learning skills to be winners. like the value of hard work, that it's okay to have fun from a little horseplay, and team work eases the load. >> you're loving that, let's go faster.

>> reporter: william ramirez says he's stronger since he began volunteering at good hope. >> my anger has dropped, i feel more confident about myself. i don't feel like i'm a failure. >> reporter: the pride comes from mastering new skills and earning peggy's trust. >> very good. it's amazing how the horse's unconditional love and nonjudgmental nature actually allows them to just open up. >> reporter: enough for this teen to doodle the word love when no one is watching. >> this father says the miami bridge kids are giving his son and the other riders a taste of independence. >> they're freed from their chairs, their problems for a very short time and they love it. >> reporter: those achievements empower these hardworking teenagers with their own sense of freedom. chelsea clinton, nbc news, miami, florida. that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm natalie morales. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening, everyone. >> three houses torched, two people arrested and ten people left homeless. at the intersection of bay shore and augusta. here's more on what happened. >> reporter: arson investigators spent hours out here going through the burned o